tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post6941657136690952205..comments2016-12-02T00:23:33.527-05:00Comments on The Dark Blue Jacket: Versus sucksTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03563836029433927521noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-35786066789639474582010-01-17T22:37:27.567-05:002010-01-17T22:37:27.567-05:00Yes, Versus sucks. So do the Blue Jackets. So do...Yes, Versus sucks. So do the Blue Jackets. So does the NHL.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-69403734100457366952009-12-15T17:10:08.784-05:002009-12-15T17:10:08.784-05:00Whoa - the DirecTV issue isn&#39;t in play here. ...Whoa - the DirecTV issue isn&#39;t in play here. The issue is whether Versus should be blacking out games that overlap their time slot that they&#39;re not broadcasting. Alternatively, the issue for the NHL is &quot;Why in the world are you scheduling games that Versus won&#39;t let people see?&quot;<br /><br />I won&#39;t argue about the consequences of vertical integration (content creation and distribution under one roof) and don&#39;t like the Comcast/Versus - DirecTV standoff one bit, but the health insurance comment is a bit off-base. If anything, a government-run health insurance system would be LESS influenced by corporate interests.Dark Blue Jacketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-88885350429119926632009-12-15T14:15:35.569-05:002009-12-15T14:15:35.569-05:00Isn&#39;t it Comcast&#39;s fault? They own Versus,...Isn&#39;t it Comcast&#39;s fault? They own Versus, and have a history of strong-arming their competitors to get their way. I mean if they can make it impossible for Directv to have Versus, then they can say to you, switch to Comcast so you can get Versus.<br /><br />I think its a conflict of interest when cable companies own networks just for this reason. But it seems to me the FCC is bought and paid for by corporate interests. <br /><br />Just wait till your health insurance is a government agency too...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-27562289094324945782009-12-14T10:57:18.790-05:002009-12-14T10:57:18.790-05:00Mike - I have a sneaking suspicion that the pendin...Mike - I have a sneaking suspicion that the pending Comcast purchase of NBC Universal will result in NHL programming on more than just Versus (which, as Comcast owns the channel, would be in the mix). The combination of NBC, Versus and the other NBC channels - along with the fact that hockey in hi-def is SO much more accessible to the average viewer - makes me think this is too easy for the new Comcast-NBC Universal leadership to pass up.<br /><br />Mark - I didn&#39;t touch on your fine point as directly as you did, but I think the NHL schedulers could have made this all OK by simply letting Versus pick which games they wanted on Tuesdays in primetime (seems like a reasonable concession to your only national broadcast outlet) and then NOT SCHEDULING ANYTHING ELSE in those time slots. It ain&#39;t rocket science. <br /><br />And you&#39;re right, the NHL is second only to Major League Baseball in self-destructive behavior. It&#39;s only second because baseball is a much larger (financially speaking) sport, so they have more to lose by their bass-ackwardness.Dark Blue Jacketnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-84456908589964760012009-12-14T08:40:01.558-05:002009-12-14T08:40:01.558-05:00I think you are laying blame on the wrong person h...I think you are laying blame on the wrong person here. This is no one&#39;s fault but the NHL itself. When negotiating a contract, versus laid out what they wanted. It was the NHL who had to agree to the demands. Like any negotiation, you always ask for more than what you are willing to accept. If the other side caves into your demads, its even better for you.<br /><br />Bottom line, it is just another example of how the NHL has screwed themselves, and more importantly, its fans.Mark2112http://www.blogger.com/profile/13540520345043825910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5796383459721793585.post-79997132049609495202009-12-14T03:02:13.615-05:002009-12-14T03:02:13.615-05:00I think you&#39;re right. One thing I&#39;d like t...I think you&#39;re right. One thing I&#39;d like to see the NHL do is to branch out and have multiple stations host games. For example since NBC owns USA, why not air games every so often like TNT does with the NBA?Mike Brownsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15461594921822370231noreply@blogger.com